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Rating: Detroit, June 28, 1990. About 50,000 people await him at Tiger Stadium. Welcomed by Rosa Parks, a civil rights icon, he climbs onto the stage, looks around, approaches the microphone, and says:
Mother, mother Madre, madre
There's too many of you crying Ci sono troppe di voi che piangono
Brother, brother, Fratello, fratello,
There's far too many of you dying Ci sono troppi di voi che stanno morendo
A shiver runs down the spine of the onlookers, everyone knows those verses written 19 years earlier by the prince of soul, Marvin Gaye, in his most famous album, already magnificently reviewed on Debaser.
Then he continues and utters words that are still relevant today: "To be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.. (Nelson Mandela)
Great men make great strides…
Even great men, however, harbor negative feelings. You all know the story, so I'll summarize it briefly. She, Anna Gordy, 39 years old, sister of Berry, founder and absolute owner of Motown. He, Marvin Gaye, 22 years old, a budding singer. They marry. A child is born. Repeated infidelities. He falls in love with another. Divorce. Alimony payment: the proceeds of Marvin's next album or $600,000. Marvin chooses the proceeds.
Marvin, as the perfect husbandsonof…inlovewithanother(bitch) decides to make both his wife and brother-in-law pay, his initial idea is a very expensive double album for Motown that must be a huge commercial flop, in which he reveals to everyone the darkest sides of his marriage. In short, a double take, after all, it is known, in war and love everything is permissible. Everything really is permissible, I know something about it myself... I don't know how many of you are divorced, I am. At 22 I got married and moved to a big city in the north, I was madly in love, two children were born who are my life. Then it ended with him shouting at me: anyone who falls in love with another and is married is nothing but a big bitch. It's a brand that was burned into me, I couldn't get rid of it. The loneliness, wandering for months without direction, with headphones on and a single thought… But let's not digress, very likely Marvin felt the same when he started composing Here, my dear.
Then something changes during the work.
The title remains the same, "Here, my dear" (is there a need for translation?), the initial words also "I guess I should say this album is dedicated to you. Although perhaps you may not be happy with it…", the music no, changes, oh how they change.
Artistically, after the enormous success of What's going on and Let's Get It On, Marvin was no longer able to replicate it, he was in love and wrote languid and sugary love songs for his beloved(bitch). In Here my dear he decides to abandon the "sexy disco" genre and explore new melodies, add orchestrations…
This is where genius takes over, Marvin realizes he is incapable of writing mediocre songs, begins to analyze even the best moments of his marriage, becomes passionate about the work and writes with all his soul and heart.
The idea of a concept album is born, in which he describes with music human feelings, the same feelings he experienced during the years of marriage. Then comes the slow and very sweet love at first sight of I met a little girl, with a warm and honeyed voice up to the point where he sings:
"We thought our love would stand the test of time and, while I sing this song, right now, I wonder, today, if you are my friend"
Here he manages to insert such a melancholic tone that you can understand the change of feelings, the falling out of love is over, all in one song…
Next is the masterpiece of When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You a sexy soul ballad fascinating and perfect, with choruses, horns and 6 minutes of bitterness and regrets in music, in a few words the pain.
How not to mention Anger (anger), A Funky Space Reincarnation, which makes you tap your foot to the rhythm of funky, a piece evidently memorized by a certain Prince who would learn the lesson well many years later. It continues with hope, fear, love, failures, self-pity in Is That Enough over 7 minutes of marital bickering with a languid sax solo and jazzy finale.
Here my dear is all pervaded by a spectacular range of emotions: exhilaration, anger, regret, atonement, shame, playfulness, hope, spiced with jazz, soul, funky and disco. Even today it is very current, a work that profoundly influenced the funky-soul genre, injecting it with new life, opening new paths, thus finding new followers with music to dance to, absorb, and listen to attentively. The word/music mix ensures that it is not an easy work, in fact, at the time of release it was Marvin’s least sold album in the '70s.
Gaye declared he made the album "out of deep passion, I sang and sang until I drained myself of everything I had lived through". This affair cost Marvin dearly, karma should not be trifled with. He declared bankruptcy, lived in a van, attempted suicide multiple times, separated from his second wife, and was shot dead by his father…
Funny, recording an album seeking a commercial flop, then striving to make it a masterpiece (succeeding), but not being understood by the public. Only later with lavish reissues did it reach number 1 in sales, obviously after his tragic death…
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Here, My Dear (02:48)
I guess I'd have to say this album is
dedicated to you.
Although perhaps you may not be happy,
this is what you want,
so I conceded.
I hope it makes you happy.
There's a lot of truth in it, babe.
I don't think I'll have many regrets, baby.
Things didn't have to be the way they was, baby.
You don't have the right to use the son of mine
to keep me in line.
One thing I can't do without
is the boy whom God gave to both of us.
I'm so happy, oh, for the son of mine.
So here it is, babe.
I hope you enjoy, reminisce, be happy,
think about the kisses and the joy.
But there were those other moments too,
the times that were cloudy and grey.
Bad.
But you taught me that was life.
May love ever possess you,
may peace come into your life.
Always think of me the way I was.
Ha, I was your baby.
This is what you wanted.
Here, dear, here it is.
Here, my dear, here it is.
04 Anger (04:04)
Up and down my back, my spine, in my brain
It injures me, babe....
Anger, can make you old, yes it can
I said anger, can make you sick, children... oh Jesus
Anger destroys your soul
Rage, there's no room for rage in there
There's no room for rage in here
line up some place to go to be mad
It's a sin to treat your body bad
When anger really gets the best of us
We've really lost our heads
We often say a lof of things, oh darlin'
Wish we'd never said
Oh, reason is beyond control
And the things we do spite
Makes me ashamed
And I mean this, baby, makes me want to the things right
Someday soon I hope and pray like Jesus
I'll reach that wiser age
Hope I will learn I really never never profit
>From things I do in rage
One more time-anger, more ager
When it's flaming hot
Anger burns to the bitter end
Know what i'm talkin' 'bout
When it cools I find out too late
I have lost at love, love, love, dear friend
I said, anger will make you sick,
children, oh Jesus
Anger destroys your soul
I ain't gonna let you get the best of me, babe
I'm gonna go somewhere and cool
This is not the way my head's supposed to be, babe
You've got me feelin' like some silly fool
But I know a real nice place where I can go
And feel the way i'm supposed to feel
I don't want to be mad at nobody
I don't want to be feelin' bad
Up and down my back, my spine, in my brain
It injures me, babe
Anger, can make you old, yes it can
I said anger will make you sick, children, oh Jesus
Anger destroys your soul
Anger
Anger
11 A Funky Space Reincarnation (08:18)
2073
2084
2093
Light years ahead
You and me gon be getting down
On a space bed
We gon get married in June
We gon be getting down on the moon
Light years, interplanetary funk
is gonna get down
Star Wars interplanetary funk
Still getting down
Music won't have no race
Only space, Peaceful space
There is time what a trip
Step inside my little ship
I can tell by your way
That you really wanna stay
In space, funky space
Peaceful space
Terrible place
Wait till I've been cool
Hey baby, let's get in the groove
Girl you look like somebody I met a long time ago
I know I haven't met you though but
Oooh you look like I haven't known you for a thousand years
God, just, mmm.. I don't know what's happening, y'know, but I
I'm really empowered but every time I be checking you out y'know, my
You give me some other reaction
But it seems to me that the reason we together here
is that we supposed to be together
Come on baby let's go peace loving
And check out this new smoke
No this thing I got
It ain't classified as dope
Smoke I got from Venus
Have had it all week
It's getting old
Come on and try this new thing with me, baby
It's too cold
Come on now, baby
Let's take off clean
Get in this here machine
And rocket rocket rocket rocket
Hey little baby
Let's magnetise
Magnet makes your love rise baby
Ooh sugar, let's get some more
Why do I feel like I been with you before
Shoot me good with the create gun
Shoot the people and lots of fun
Everybody created
Time and lots of fun
Let's move the party over to Star One
Alright everybody, we're moving now to come in for a landing here in Pluto
Now all of you who aren't groovay
Send you over to the Plutotarium to be Plutotized
Know that that you dig that
And the rest of the group, I know y'all gon' have a ball
But hey, little miss birdsong! Come here
You follow me
Come on baby come on down
Razzmattazz and all that jazz
Come on baby come on down
Let's razzmattazz and all that jazz
Let's plug ourselves in this machine in the ground
Let's touch each other and feel each other down
Let's razzmattazz and all that jazz
Say, we need to say what we mean
Plug our hearts into the, the real machine
Let's razzmattazz and all that jazz
Let's see if we play, babe
Happiness around
Let's touch each other
Let's feel each other's ass
Let's razzmattazz, all that jazz
Let's razzmattazz and all that jazz
Says yeah
Let's razzmattazz and all that jazz
Says yeah
Let's touch each other
Let's feel each other's ass
Let's razzmattazz, all that jazz
Stop
Well it's been a fantastic trip, baby
Y'all cut it out
Get another load of funky four
Funky four
Everybody get your hands together
We be right here on time
You better count down, Zac
You ready?
One, fun
Two, you
Three, me
Four, more
Five, no jive
Six, no tricks
Seven, we in heaven
Eight, everything is straight
Nine, fine
Ten, next week
We'll do it again
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